Proposal: Enable Modernization of Plugins in Private Repositories

[gounthar]

What feature do you want to see added?

Current Situation

Currently, our modernization process relies solely on the update center to retrieve plugin repositories for modernization efforts.

Challenge

This approach limits our ability to modernize certain types of plugins:

1. Plugins with security issues that have been forked into private repositories for resolution
2. Plugins developed by private companies that are not (yet) part of the jenkinsci organization
3. Proprietary plugins that will remain outside the jenkinsci organization

Proposed Solution

We propose expanding the modernization capabilities to include plugins in private repositories. This could be achieved by:

1. Allowing the use of repository URLs as input for the modernization process
2. Implementing a mechanism to authenticate and access private repositories using appropriate environment variables

Implementation Considerations

To implement this feature, we would need to:

1. Modify the input process to accept repository URLs in addition to plugin names
2. Develop a secure method for handling authentication credentials (e.g., using environment variables)
3. Ensure the tool can clone, fork, and create pull requests for private repositories
4. Update documentation to reflect these new capabilities and explain the setup process

Benefits

This enhancement would:

1. Increase the tool's flexibility and usefulness
2. Enable faster resolution of security issues in plugins
3. Support companies with proprietary plugins in keeping their extensions up-to-date

Questions for Discussion

1. What security measures should we implement to protect authentication credentials?
2. How can we ensure the tool remains easy to use while adding this functionality?
3. Are there any potential drawbacks or risks associated with this approach?

We welcome your thoughts and feedback on this proposal to help shape the future development of our plugin modernization tool.

Upstream changes

No response

Are you interested in contributing this feature?

No response